What to Wear
by nasher91
Summary: Songfic to Taylor Swift's "What to wear". Hermione and Remus through the years. She vows to prove she's not a little girl, he can't say no but he can't say yes either as he's her teacher. She moves to Paris, he tries to find her


She's looking in the mirror  
>The moments getting nearer<br>She thinks about it as she walks her walk  
>Up and down the staircase<br>Makeup fresh on her face  
>She thinks about it as she talks her talk <p>

Hermione Granger stood in front of the mirror and sighed. It was the annual Yule Ball and usually she'd already be there having a great time with Ron and Harry. But Ron was taking Luna and Harry had left a few moments ago with Ginny, meaning she was going alone to the Yule Ball for the first time ever. As if that wasn't enough a certain Remus Lupin, Hermione's private continuous crush, had been re-instated as a professor. She wanted to stand out; not enough to raise questions, but just enough to attract his attention and break the idea he had of her as a naïve student.

School dance, first chance, always been a dreamer  
>There's one guy, she's shy, sees him through the mirror<br>And everybody looks at her,  
>She thinks about it<p>

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Hermione left the safety of her room and made her way to the great hall. She saw Remus reflected in one of the ice sculptures and swallowed nervously. A few people who were gathered around the doors looked at her in surprise. Hermione didn't get dressed up very often, and when she did it was a beautiful sight.

Blue dress, angel face, looking in the mirror,  
>Shoes, purse, hair tied back and you should see her<br>She's got her magic, floating through the air, 

After an hour of dancing with her friends – and a few male admirers – Hermione was checking her flushed reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were slightly pinker than usual and her dress was a little bit wrinkled. She smoothed her dress out again and tied her hair back to allow herself to cool down. Satisfied with her look Hermione slipped her feet back into her shoes and picked up her purse from the small table under the mirror. This time she was determined to get a dance with Remus. Ginny had already danced with him. And the boys had danced with McGonagall so it wouldn't be as if she was stepping over any boundaries…right?

Peace, Love, One thing leads into another  
>Dream big, Aim small<br>Man you gotta love her  
>She's got her hopes up<br>Got 'em up to there  
>Wonderin' what to wear <p>

Remus spotted her making her way across the room to him and swallowed nervously: this is what he'd been worried about all night. She looked gorgeous. She looked determined. She resembled everything he wanted and everything he couldn't have. She was too young and he was too old, she was too pure, and he was too tainted. Still, when she asked him to dance he found he was quite unable to refuse her.

She's standing in her bedroom  
>He'll be pullin' up soon<br>She thinks about it as she sees headlights  
>Looking out the window she's got her diary to show<br>That she's been waiting for this all her life 

It was a few years on. She was sitting on the window ledge of her bedroom waiting for him to arrive, to pick her up. Smiling to herself she read the old diary entry again. Where she'd danced with him at the Yule Ball the first year she'd gone without the boys. Where he'd told her that she looked beautiful. Where she knew she had a chance.

First date can't wait  
>Lookin' in the mirror<br>Heart all wrapped up  
>Wait until he sees her<br>He's lookin' right at her  
>She thinks about it <p>

As the car slowed down in front of her door she checked her appearance once again. _It's just a tutoring lesson Hermione, calm down_. Despite filling her head with thoughts like this Hermione still couldn't help calling this a date. She knew it wasn't. She knew he was helping her with spells to help her in her mission in the war.

Sixteen blue jeans Abercrombie t-shirt  
>Shoes purse hair tied back and you should see her<br>She's got her magic floating through the air 

She was, after all, only sixteen and he was rather a lot older than her. That was before you even tackled the issue of their student-teacher relationship. Yes the jeans and muggle brand t-shirt which clung to her figure and was in the same blue as the Yule Ball dress from the other year was fine. She tied her hair up to avoid nervously fiddling with it, picked up her bag and went to meet him.

Peace, Love, One thing leads into another  
>Dream big, Aim small<br>Man you gotta love her  
>She's got her hopes up<br>Got 'em up to there  
>Wonderin' what to wear <p>

"Hermione, I'm your teacher. I'm sorry, I can't." His apology was heartfelt but all she heard was his rejection. She cringed with embarrassment and fled the car, not realising she'd left her bracelet behind. As soon as she was safely in the house she rid herself of the clothes she'd spent hours choosing earlier and changed into a pair of jogging bottoms and an oversized man's t-shirt. Never again was she going to pursue a man like that. They were on the edge of the biggest battle any of them had ever seen. She was going to focus on her part in the war.

The years went by  
>The mirror saw her cry<br>She got up again  
>She got up again<br>The wind blew by the small town lights  
>She got up again <p>

The war was over. They'd one. Not without loss, of course, and Hermione lost count of the times she had to wear funeral clothes. The only time she got to wear anything of colour was for Fred's funeral – it was a demand of George's on Fred's behalf. She was glad for the opportunity and the mindset it put her in. Life was to celebrate and live. She would move on.

Move out  
>Find out where the world can take her<br>Bright lights late nights livin' for the greater  
>Move to Paris<br>Livin' on a prayer 

She moved to Paris, surprising everyone who knew her, and set up her life there. She worked in a wizarding book shop but lived in a mostly muggle community. Many local men attempted to woo her but she gently turned down their affections. Her shyness around men did not go unnoticed by a wizard who was on vacation in the area. He asked around about her and gathered the bones of a story which a certain friend of his could flesh out.

Peace, Love, One thing leads into another  
>Dream big, Aim small<br>Man you gotta love her  
>She's got her hopes up<br>Got 'em up to there

He showed up completely unexpectedly. It had been a long day at work and she was particularly looking forward to a long relaxing bath with a book she'd picked up that day from the shop. She reached for the door knob at her house and stopped in surprise. There was a vaguely familiar bracelet looped around it, shimmering in the twilight sun.

"You left it in my car that night. By the time I found it you'd moved and I didn't know where I could find you."

She turned around upon hearing his voice. Remus Lupin stood in front of her, walking slowly up the path towards her – allowing her the chance to deny him as she had years ago.

"Remus." She was shocked that he was here. She'd spent so long denying herself because of him. And then he'd shown up. Here. In Paris. At her house. All the old feelings came rushing back, intensified by the constant suppression she'd gone through. He smiled nervously at her.

"I wanted to apologise." He informed her. She frowned and he elaborated; "I shouldn't have worded myself the way I did that night. What I meant to say was that I very much wanted to, but I very much wasn't allowed to."

Hermione simply watched him, transfixed, as he finally closed the distance between them. "Please don't send me away Hermione," he pleaded with her, his voice husky, "I've been searching for you for so long. I don't want to lose you again."

She nodded mutely and relief lit up his eyes. With a nervousness she found endearing he leant down and finally kissed her. 

She's got her hopes up  
>Got 'em up to there<br>Wonderin' what to wear  
>Ooo Ooo<br>Wonderin' what to wear

It had taken her a solid month to find the perfect one. Eventually she'd found it tucked away in a muggle bridal store back in England. It was the exact same style as her Yule Ball dress but in a gorgeous ivory colour. Mrs Weasley lent Hermione her blue droplet earrings and Hermione wore the blue shoe she'd worn at the ball. The wedding itself was beautiful and as she danced with her new husband, Hermione knew that life was better than she'd ever dared hope.


End file.
